Final Fantasy 14 has lots of dungeons to clear with a party, and a big chunk of them (especially from earlier on in the game) are optional. You won’t unlock these as you complete the main scenario quests as you do with the other dungeons. Instead, you’ll need to seek out specific NPCs and complete certain side quests to unlock these.
These dungeons are not to be confused with Variant Dungeons, like Aloalo Island, which are separate types of content. Here’s where to unlock all optional dungeons in FFXIV.
Optional dungeons in FFXIV and 50/60/70/80 roulette, explained
Unlocking at least two of any of the level 50, 60, 70, and 80 dungeons in the list below will also unlock the Level 50/60/70/80 Duty Roulette. While most players don’t waste their time with running that roulette, it can still be useful if you’re desperate for tomes and EXP.
You don’t really need to do any of these, unless you want specific rewards, like minions, orchestrion rolls, or Triple Triad cards. (Even so, the minions and orchestrion rolls can be purchased via the marketboard if you don’t feel like grinding out a dungeon multiple times.)
A bulk of these early dungeons are also required to make your A Realm Reborn Zodiac relic weapon and your Heavensward Anima relic weapon.
Where to unlock all the optional dungeons in FFXIV
Most of the dungeons can be unlocked after completing the main story of each expansion, though some have specific requirements. You’ll need to seek out the usual blue quest markers with a plus sign on it, which will indicate that there’s content locked behind that side quest.
Below you can see a complete list of all the optional dungeons in FFXIV, along with the side quest to unlock them, where to find the NPCs, and other prerequisites they may have.
FFXIV optional dungeon list and unlock requirements
| Dungeon | Level | Unlock quest | Quest NPC | NPC location | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halatali | 20 | Hallo Halatali | Nedrick Ironheart | Western Thanalan (12, 14.3) | None |
| The Sunken Temple of Qarn | 35 | Braving New Depths | Nedrick Ironheart | Western Thanalan (12, 14.3) | None |
| Cutter’s Cry | 38 | Dishonor Before Death | Sibold | Ul’dah – Steps of Thal (14, 10.1) | None |
| Dzemael Darkhold | 44 | Fort of Fear | Carrilaut | Coerthas Central Highlands (24.7, 28.8) | None |
| The Aurum Vale | 47 | Going for Gold | Nedrick Ironheart | Western Thanalan (12, 14.3) | None |
| The Wanderer’s Palace | 50 | Trauma Queen | Allene | Western Thanalan (11.5, 13.9) | Requires “Black Wolf’s Ultimatum” MSQ cleared |
| Amdapor Keep | 50 | Ghosts of Amdapor | Nedrick Ironheart | Western Thanalan (12, 14.3) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| Pharos Sirius | 50 | Sirius Business | Diamanda | Western La Noscea (26.5, 26.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| Copperbell Mines (Hard) | 50 | Out of Sight, Out of Mine | Hugubert | Mor Dhona (22, 8.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| Haukke Manor (Hard) | 50 | Maniac Manor | Lauriane | Mor Dhona (22.1, 8.6) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| The Lost City of Amdapor | 50 | One Night in Amdapor | E-Sumi-Yan | Old Gridania (6, 10.6) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| Halatali (Hard) | 50 | This Time’s for Fun | Hugubert | Mor Dhona (22, 8.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| Brayfox’s Longstop (Hard) | 50 | Curds and Slay | Bloezoeng | Mor Dhona (22.1, 8.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| Hullbreaker Isle | 50 | King of the Hull | Bloezoeng | Mor Dhona (22.1, 8.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| The Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard) | 50 | Corpse Gloom | Paiyo Reiyo | Ul’dah – Steps of Nald (12.2, 8.1) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| The Stone Vigil (Hard) | 50 | Blood for Stone | Faillicie | Mor Dhona (21.9, 8.4) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| Sastasha (Hard) | 50 | It’s Definitely Pirates | Bloezoeng | Mor Dhona (22.1, 8.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared |
| The Sunken Temple of Qarn (Hard) | 50 | The Wrath of Qarn | Hugubert | Mor Dhona (22, 8.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared and “The Sunken Temple of Qarn” completed |
| The Wanderer’s Palace (Hard) | 50 | Not Easy Being Green | Bloezoeng | Mor Dhona (22.1, 8.7) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared and “The Wanderer’s Palace” completed |
| Amdapor Keep (Hard) | 50 | For Keep’s Sake | Lauriane | Mor Dhona (22.1, 8.6) | Requires “The Ultimate Weapon” MSQ cleared and “Amdapor Keep” completed |
| The Dusk Vigil | 51 | For All the Nights to Come | Wealdtheow | Coerthas Western Highlands (16.9, 22.8) | Requires Heavensward expansion and “Sounding Out the Amphitheatre” MSQ cleared |
| Neverreap | 60 | Reap What You Sow | Sanu Vanu | The Sea of Clouds (11.7, 14.9) | Requires Heavensward expansion and “Heavensward” MSQ cleared |
| The Fractal Continuum | 60 | Do It for Gilly | Notrelchamps | Ishgard – The Pillars (14.6, 12.2) | Requires Heavensward expansion and “Heavensward” MSQ cleared |
| Saint Mocianne’s Arboretum | 60 | An Overgrown Ambition | Tetchy Treasure Hunter | The Dravanian Hinterlands (12.3, 19.6) | Requires Heavensward expansion and “Heavensward” MSQ cleared |
| Pharos Sirius (Hard) | 60 | Things Are Getting Sirius | Trachraet | Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (12.7, 12.8) | Requires Heavensward expansion, “Heavensward” MSQ cleared, and Pharos Sirius completed |
| The Lost City of Amdapor (Hard) | 60 | One More Night in Amdapor | E-Sumi-Yan | Old Gridania (6, 10.6) | Requires Heavensward expansion, “Heavensward” MSQ cleared, and The Lost City of Amdapor completed |
| Hullbreaker Isle (Hard) | 60 | Storming the Hull | Denston | Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (11, 10.4) | Requires Heavensward expansion, “Heavensward” MSQ cleared, and Hullbreaker Isle completed |
| The Great Gubal Library (Hard) | 60 | Let Me Gubal That for You | Midnight Dew | Idyllshire (5.5, 6.6) | Requires Heavensward expansion and “Heavensward” MSQ cleared |
| Sohm Al (Hard) | 60 | The Fires of Sohm Al | Gossamer Moogle | Idyllshire (4.6, 8.4) | Requires Heavensward expansion and “Heavensward” MSQ cleared |
| Shisui of the Violet Tides | 63 | The Palace of Lost Souls | Kurenai | The Ruby Sea (20.2, 20.1) | Requires Stormblood expansion and “Forever and Ever Apart” MSQ cleared |
| Kugane Castle | 70 | King of the Castle | East Aldenard Trading Company Associate | Kugane (13.9, 13.3) | Requires Stormblood expansion and “Stormblood” MSQ cleared |
| The Temple of the Fist | 70 | To Kill a Coeurl | Ortwin | Rhalgr’s Reach (12.9, 12.8) | Requires Stormblood expansion and “Stormblood” MSQ cleared |
| Hells’ Lid | 70 | An Auspicious Encounter | Soroban | The Ruby Sea (5.7, 15.8) | Requires Stormblood expansion and “Hope on the Waves” MSQ cleared |
| The Fractal Continuum (Hard) | 70 | An Unwanted Truth | Philiot | Rhalgr’s Reach (13.2, 12.2) | Requires Stormblood expansion and “Stormblood” MSQ cleared |
| The Swallow’s Compass | 70 | Tortoise in Time | Bunchin | The Ruby Sea (27.8, 16.4) | Requires Stormblood expansion and “An Auspicious Encounter” side quest cleared |
| Saint Mocianne’s Arboretum (Hard) | 70 | Secret of the Ooze | Sawney | Rhalgr’s Reach (11.7, 11.9) | Requires Stormblood expansion, “Stormblood” MSQ cleared, and Saint Mocianne’s Arboretum completed |
| The Twinning | 80 | By the Time You Hear This | Bethana | The Crystarium (8.5, 10.9) | Requires Shadowbringers expansion and “Shadowbringers” MSQ cleared |
| Akadaemia Anyder | 80 | Akadaemia Anyder | Overwrought Ondo | Eulmore (12.9, 12.4) | Requires Shadowbringers expansion and “Shadowbringers” MSQ cleared |
| Smileton | 90 | Cutting the Cheese | Panic-stricken Loporrit | Old Sharlayan (11.7, 11.4) | Requires Endwalker expansion and “Endwalker” MSQ cleared |
| The Stigma Dreamscape | 90 | Where No Loporrit Has Gone Before | Jammingway | Old Sharlayan (11, 13.7) | Requires Endwalker expansion and “Endwalker” MSQ cleared |
If you’re just starting out in the massive world of Final Fantasy 14, we have tons of guides to help you. We have a beginner’s guide to get you started, along with guides detailing when you’ll get your mount and which Grand Company you should join.
If you’re starting but are feeling overwhelmed, we have guides to help with picking a job and a guide that explains how long it may take to catch up to current content in FFXIV.
We also have guides on side content, like ocean fishing, relic weapons, and Island Sanctuary, for those who want to take a break from it all.
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